Fuse-setting machine



`Iuly l, 1930. 1,769,861

H. SCHULER 4FUSE SETTING MACHINE Filed .nine 414 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BMM f/mgm alweer July l, 1930.y H. scHuLER FUSE SETTING MACHINE 2 dou. .t e .m S e wmv \ 9 10 n4 w 4, l

vvvwln'ordervt ody freadily understo vsame is illustrated by way of example in Patented l UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE.

scHULnn, or nussnrnoar, GERMANY, AssIeNon "ro nnnrmscnn METALL- wAAnnN- UND MAscmNENrABnIx.. or DUssELnonr-Dnnnnnonr, GERMANY,- A

. V'COBPOBYAYTIO/N 0F GERMANY FUSE-serrure MACHINE Application 111er! .Innen 14, 1929 8erial No. 370,864, and'in Germany September 1, 1958?'.

My invention relates to a fuse setting ina;

chine comprisingtwogsetting bogdji'els Y adapted 1 to be turned relatively to one another. 'The lobject of the invention. is bot'h to continu- 5 ouslyimpart tothe setting bodies, by a peculiar arrangement and construction of their 'I driving means, the required ,adjustment ofA the burning time in accordance with-the dates of the aim (distance and level of the 1.0 aim) and to obtain very rapid setting of the projectile fuses byan automatic operationof the machine.

K15 .tane'ous y take up a plurality of projectiles and for setting them independently of one another.

`the accompanying drawingin which Figure 1 is a top viewof my improved fuse setting machine,

ing twoA vertical sections 90 degrees apart from one another, through two neighboring setting cups one of which iso-at rest while A"and abuts on ya spring f. The -ta c further a rojectile has been put into the other.

igure A3 is asectlon through the lower portion of a, setting cup on enlarged scale, shortly before the termination of the fuse setting operation. r l Figure 4 is a. similar section througha setting cup shortly after the termination of a fuse setting operation, with the means still thrown in, I l

Figure 5 sh'ows by a similar section the cup 1n position of rest after the driving means has been uncoupled,

Figures 6 and 7 are sections on lines 1-1 and^22, respectively, of Figure 2, and

v Figure l8 is a section on line 3--3 of Figure 5. v v The fuse setting machine illustrated .is fitted with two setting cupsy so that two projectiles can be set therein simultaneously. The cups consist of .the cup-shaped upper setting bodies A having a s ring-actuated'. andv of thc coaxially arranged.

` setting bolt a, v

lower setting bodies B. The bodies A and .Figure 2 is a sectionalview thereof show-V `these grooves.

B .aref-mounted for rotation in the vcasing' C, the two cups ybeing arrangedlike planet wheels about the .central sun wheels D and Ethat drive them. The upper setting body I i ,A isin mesh lwiththe sun wheel D lby" a toothed rim al, the sun wheel bein turned e. g. by means of a hand drive h, igure 1. When turned, this drive lz. at the same time displaces theV pointer Z1 of a following-thepointer apparatus Z the counter mark Z2 'of which is displaced from a place remote from the setting machine, e. g an observing stai' tion, in accordance with the respective dates Y ofthe aim. The pointer Z1 is permanently caused bythe drive-h to register with the mark Z2, whereby the two upper setting. bodies A have impartedto them theangular winvetirmrbe-mowwtsemnitlya the two vlower bodies an embodiment of the- B required yfor the determination of the bursting point to be obtained.A

v The lower setting body b which may be ove .supported by ball bearings bo carries a `its'springactuated setting bolt b a supporting ring b1 for the projectile. In the middle portion b2 of body B is arranged. a thrust 'piston 123 the rodb4 of which is guided in a'hollow .tap or sleeve c of the cup casing C `It is under the action of a spring f1 and passesthrou h a slot be of body B. Thev safety ring is thereby shifted downwardy against the-action of its supporting springs .90 f2 and releases the setting bolts a and b which till now were locked in the engaging l l position, so that they can give way as soon Y as they are urged outward by the projectile, unless' the grooves of the projectile happento be opposite them, so that they can enter The safety ring S is shiftabl1 and rotaty ably nounted' ing the cylindrica cup casing is guided by a downward projection 1W s1 in a corresponding recess bn of the lower setting body B, so that it takes part in the' rotation of the latter. After introduction of a projectlle rmg S .first perseveres inde- 5 pressed position, as the outwardly shifted pled state being-maintained during theseta tin operation. The coupling action is estab ished by a coupling disk k adapted to engage by a toothed rim teethV g2 of the rotar-y member g and to be lifted again out of these teeth by a slight rotation of the hub Zn'ifV body B which hub possesses high angle screwthreads 19,2. This rotation of the coupling disk lc is effected by the rotary member g.

after body B has been stopped and is at rest, against the action of the spring f3 arranged in body B and tending to provoke coupling. By this rotation spring f3 is tensioned through the intermediary of an arm k1 of the coupling disk k which arm projects upward through a recess of the bottom bla of body B. "\\\2 The coupling disk is thus resiliently rotatably connected -to body B by spring f3 and arm k1. It can turn relatively to setting body B only by the amount allowed by the play of spring f8 and in so doin it rises on the high angle threads 612 where y it is disengaged together with body B from the teeth g2. As the 'spring f3 acts in coupling direction, the coupling disk musetbe locked in uncoupled position when a rotation of bodyB should not take place.

The setting body B is arrested in known manner in dependence on the position of safety ring S. When the latter is in deressed position after introduction of a projectile, it is held first by the setting bolts a and b which are `.-in depressed osition. On the flange d, of a sleeve d whic is nonrotatably but under the action of a spring f2 axially shiftably mounted on the hollow tap c of casing C is arranged an arresting nose d2. This nose can enter an arresting notch bn of the front face ofthe hub b5 only after on the one hand a controlling ring sa which by means of projections s2 is rigidly connected to safety ring S and abuts on the surface d1 of sleeve, d, is shifted upward by the springs f2 together with ring S, after the bolts a, b have entered the respective grooves of the projectile, which ring s3 65 thereby permits upward motion of sleeve d,

The rotation, required to set the fuse' set.

and, on the other hand, when the arresting notch du that revolves with the bolt b, after the fuse has been set comes to lie above the arresting nose d2 which is atvrest. When the latter enters notch by, and setting body o B thereby comes to rest with bolt b and high angle threads 612, then-the rotary member g still entrains for a short distance the coujling disk lc against the action of sprln'g f3.

ng isk la rises on the high angle .5

of sleeve d covering flange il of sleeve-"zQ-S5777W .through which flange d1 projects the safety nose i2, sleeve can rise only after sleeve d has been raised. When both noses 2and d2 have entered the notches k2 and Z214, respectively', then the vflanges Z1 and l abut on ,90 each other. v

The described fuse setting machine operates in the following manner.

l During the gun is firing, the rotary body g is permanently held in rotation in one di- '95 rection by means of the hand drive m through sun wheel E and gear g1. The setting body A with the bolt a hasimpartedto it by means of the drive I1, after the indications of the following peinterlntherotary 10@ position required to set the fuse. Both setting bodies therefore are lirsty at rest.' lThe lower setting body B with bolt b is locked against rotation by the arresting nose d2 engaging notch bm. Coupling disk 7c is se- 105 cured by nose i2 engaging notch k2. Now

by introducing a projectile in the setting cup onto the supporting ring b1 piston b3 and therewith safety ring S and controlling ring sa are urged downward, the springs f and f2 110 being tensioned. This downward shifting Vmotion is taken' part in by the sleeves d and z' with their noses d2 and 2, while springs f4 and f5 Iare tensioned, so that setting body B and coupling disk 4Il: are released by the' 115 noses d2 and 2, respectively. Owing to spring )"3 relaxing coupling disk 7c lowers on the high angle threads 612 and couples the setting body hB with member q that is revolving. Body B is thus set in rotation, entrains the projectile and turns it relatively to setting body B until bolt a of the latter enters the respective groove of the projectile and stops the latter. Now setting body B with Abolt b shifts relatively to the projectile until bolt b enters the groove of the setting ring of the fuse. When this has taken place, at once safety ring S is raised above the bolts under the action of springs f2, secures these bolts against backward motion li-,veasar and, by the lcontrolling ring sa be'ing'r-aised` also, the arrestin nose d2 is enabled to enter notch' bu. In t 's instant begins the dislacement of the setting ring of the fuse by olt '1a. This displacement comes to end as soon as notch' b1, comes to lie above the arresting nose d2 which is at rest, landthe latter enters notch bu under the' action of springs f4 due to sleeve d raising. .The setting bod B then comes to rest, couplingl disk y lc ascen on the high angle threads, is' disengaged from member g and is secured in uncoupled positiony by nose 2 entering notch k2. Whatever may be the mutual polso sition of the bolts and their position relatively to the grooves of the projectile when a projectile is introduced, the setting of the -setting ring of the fuse will always be ter-` minated after at most two revolutions of setting vbody B. When the ,set projectile is llifted, piston b3 rises under the action of spring f and is followed by the hook ba which locks ring S byengaging projectionv s of the latter.

Infthis manner the normal position of restof the machine is 'reached automatically after the setting o eration has .been ter m1nated. Each settingV cup operates inde' pendently of the other, although actuated by the same drive.v Therefore projectiles can be set in uninterrupted sequence simultaneously or after one another in both vsetfting cups. Each cup sets its projectile independently .of the o eration of the other A is given meach settin j tary direction with body. B -bynose d2, is

cups. To adjust the oltsof one or more setting cups actuated by one and the same drive the possibility of displacing the lower setting bo y B relatively tothe upper body cup. To this end the hollow tap c on whic sleeve d is mounted which in position of rest is coupled in romounted for rotation on the ottom c1 of the cup and'can be fixed by a nut c2. Tap c forms further the abutment for the sprin s )f4 and f5 ythat partake in this eventual a justing rotation. v j

To indicate to the crew the termination'of a ruse settin operation known iin aan is provided setting operation has beenterminated, re-

- leases an electric-contact piece r vwhich was depressed by pins t, which contact piece iinder the action of a' spring f8 meets a contact piece r1 and closes the circuit including. an lincandescent lamp r2. Whe-naprojectile is lntroduced, sleeve d depresses the pins t and v thereby breaks the contact so that lamp r2 goesv out.

,What I claim and desire `to secure by Letl. A fuse setting machine for projectiles ,c comprising upper and lowensettingfbodies adapted to rotate relativo to one another,

a light signalv on the machine..` To this endv vsleeve when rising after the' the setting ringof a projectile fuse; drive said lower being adaptedto operatey means forfsaid'lower body; coupling means therefore controlled by the introduction of a projectile; the upper setting body adapted by its position to determined the burnin time ofthe fuse, and drive means forsai body, said drive means vbeing set in accordance'with the range and level of the aim.

v2. A fuse setting machine for projectiles comprising upper andilower setting bodies adapted to. rotate relative to one another, said lower body being ladapted to operate the setting ring ofv a projectile fuse; a projectile 'supporting ring in said lower body; a casin so l j' 1n which said body isl rigidly mounte axiall drive means for said lowspring means operative with said coupling means upon introduction of a projectile into said body to couple the latter withf said drive means, and operative to uncouple said body from said driving means after termif nation-of the setting operation.

4. A machine according to claim 2, which includes setting bolts in thel upper and lower setting bodies; a safety ring 1n the casin of 'the lower body adapted to be entraine .through the action of the movable actuating member upon the introductionv of the projectile to lock said bolts in engaging po-. sition therewith; independent locking means for the lower setting body and-means operative with the safety ring to disengage the flatter and thereby release the lockin meansof said body; and means operative y associatedwith ,the coupling'means to revent engagement of the locking means` or the.

setting body untill the setting bolts engage I the projectile.

5. A fuse setting machine-for projectiles comprisin setting bo ies, said bodies being adapted to rotate relative to `011e another,v each o f said lower "bodies setting rin Cups 111 Sal of a^projectile fuse; setting upper bodies and common driving means for. saidcups; and ymeans for coupling anduncouplingsaid driving means toset the fuses individually and independently of one, another to permit the setting *operationv to take lace in each setting cup independently of t e others.

6. A fuse setting machine for projectiles comprising upper and lowersettmg bodies 'adapted to rotatev relative to one another,-

being adapted to operate-the' `ll5 a Vplurality of:upper and lowerl each of said lower bodies'beingv adapted to operate the setting ring of a projectile fuse; setting cups in said upper bodies and a casingfor each of said cups; drive means for each lower body; coupling means between said body and the drive means, comprising a threaded disc; a hub connection in said lower body having threaded engagement with said disc;ixed stops on the hub connection to limit the rotation of the setting bodies after termination of the setting operation, said stops being arranged to be Ydisplaced individually in the cup casing to adjust and re-adjust them.

In testimony whereof I have afxed my signature.

HERMANN'SCHULER. 

